Hotel Leo: A Historic Hotel For Modern Times
Some buildings are more than just the sum of their walls, doors and windows. In Bellingham, few buildings are more iconic or have richer history than the Leopold. The nine-story tower is on the National Register of Historic Places, and acts as an anchor of the city's downtown core. Immediately adjacent to it is a more recent addition, a four-story building with an interesting history all its own, which now houses the Hotel Leo, our boutique hotel in the heart of downtown.
Days Gone By: A Hotel History Lesson
They say it's always best to begin at the beginning. In that case, before there was the Leopold, and long before the addition that would become the Hotel Leo, there was the Byron House Hotel, built in 1899 by Captain Josiah B. Byron. Josiah owned the 93-room hotel until 1910, when he sold it for a cool $100,000 to Leopold F. Schmidt.
Schmidt was well-positioned for life as a hotelier, having earned a fortune in the beer business as founder of the Olympia Brewing Company and owner of the Bellingham Bay Brewery. He improved on the Byron, constructing a 200-room addition, and after his death in 1914, the hotel was renamed the Hotel Leopold in his honor.
It was one of the best hotels in Bellingham, WA—and then it was torn down.
It's a little-known fact that the historic hotel that now stands on Cornwall Avenue in downtown Bellingham is not the original historic hotel that once existed on that site. In 1929, a new 300-room, nine-story hotel was constructed and that's the building that still occupies that block today.
In much the same way, the addition that is now the Hotel Leo is also not the 1960 Leopold Hotel and Motor Inn that was directly behind the larger hotel building. That one was a scaled-back, family-friendly motel, complete with a swimming pool. And then there was the 1967 Leopold Inn, which was a four-story, 43-room addition.
That's a lot of historic Hotel Leopolds to inhabit the same site. Which brings us up to date and to the Hotel Leo.
Hotel Remodeling at Warp Speed
When the team that created the Hotel Leo took on the task of modernizing the 1967 addition to create a boutique hotel that would be uniquely Bellingham, we knew what we were getting ourselves into. After all, we were fresh off another hotel renovation, the Heliotrope Hotel across town. It seemed hotel remodeling had gotten into our blood.
It was a given that the Hotel Leo would be a modern boutique hotel with modern amenities and up-to-date comforts. However as a locally owned hotel, we also wanted it to lean into history, not only of the building, but also of Bellingham itself. In the past, the Leopold wasn't just a place for weary travelers to stay, it was the social center of the town. We wanted the Hotel Leo to continue in that tradition of giving visitors authentic experiences and acting as a gateway to the Bellingham community as a whole. With the main Leopold building having been transformed into apartments, our adjacent hotel would offer guests the ability to meet residents of the city with every stroll through the building's common areas
But first we had to build it. We don't know how long the buildout of a 31-room hotel should take, but our previous hotel renovation had taken seven months and that seemed like a workable timeline. We have since learned that a hotel remodel is often a more drawn-out affair, but thanks to the expertise and initiative of the local companies and contractors we partnered with, seven months after we began, we introduced the Hotel Leo to the public. Despite the short timeline, we knew that the details are what make guests feel at home, and so we appointed our rooms with local art, comfortable furnishings, luxury linens and towels, and more. We also included modern touches such as bluetooth speakers and flat-screen TVs. And because no visit to Bellingham is complete without premium coffee, every room features a French press and Tony's Coffee.
From the Boutique Hotel to the Hotel Bar
After the opening of the Hotel Leo, we weren't quite ready to take a break. While we didn't want to take on another hotel remodel, there was another, smaller project that had been part of the plans from the beginning: a hotel cocktail bar.
Back in its earlier life, the bar at the Leopold had been a lively place enjoyed by both guests and Bellingham residents. We wanted the same for the Hotel Leo, and we wanted it to reveal the story of the historic hotel down to the smallest detail. And so we designed Amendment 21, our cocktail bar, with an array of old photos on the walls sourced from Whatcom Museum archives and a drink menu that hearkens back to the earlier days of post-Prohibition Bellingham, when the gin flowed freely and the tonic was made in-house.
Thanks to the comforts we provide, we're certain guests could spend their entire visit at the Hotel Leo, enjoying the library, playing pool, working out in the gym and, of course, sampling the food and drink at Amendment 21. However, our location within walking distance of everything in downtown Bellingham makes getting to know the town as simple as taking a stroll and our knowledgeable staff is always ready with a recommendation for food, culture or recreational activities. But don't just take our word for it, reserve a room at the historic Hotel Leo and explore for yourself!